Fremont County Hosts Planning Meeting for Spring Runoff

More than forty federal, state, and local officials gathered Thursday to discuss preparations on how to deal with high water and possible lowland flooding along the Arkansas River in Fremont County this spring. With Arkansas River basin snowpack now reported at 152 percent of average, officials said they believe spring runoff could reach its highest levels on the river in the past 13 years.

The Bureau of Reclamation is currently releasing an additional 300 cubic feet per second (c.f.s.) of water into the river from reservoirs in Lake County to prepare for additional reservoir storage when runoff reaches its peak. The river in the past week has been running at levels of 920 to 970 c.f.s. through Canon City. With the flood stage listed at nine feet for the Arkansas River in Canon City, the National Weather Service is projecting that there is an 80 percent chance that the river could reach a flood stage of 9.2 feet with a 50 percent chance of the river reaching a stage of 9.7 feet.

Fremont County Emergency Management Director Steve Morrisey says river flows as high as 3,700 c.f.s. should not cause any serious problems but with any levels above that, lowland flooding could start causing concerns. Morrisey says some parks officials are predicting water volumes up to 6,000 c.f.s. by mid-June. Arkansas Headwaters State Parks officials said during Thursday's meeting that when water volumes reach 3,200 c.f.s. they begin discouraging rafters and kayakers from boating the Royal Gorge canyon. Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker said back in the mid-90's, after several drownings from high water on the river and with numerous calls about unmanned boats floating down the river, then Sheriff Dale Rea shut down all recreational boating on the Arkansas for several days.

Rick Romano of the Natural Resource Conservation Service voiced concerns that a lot of dead timber has accumulated along creeks and the river since the drought year of 2002. He said there's a potential for a lot of heavy timber being carried downstream posing problems around bridge abutments as well as raising safety concerns for anyone on the river.

Among preparations discussed for high water on the Arkansas River this spring and summer were the availability of sand bags and labor crews should sandbagging become necessary; designation of neighborhoods that could fall victim to lowland flooding so lists can be prepared of residents who could be alerted through reverse 9-1-1 phone calls; the need for improved notification and communication among law enforcement agencies and emergency responders; and the need for warnings to citizens about manhole covers becoming dislodged in the event of high water.

March 25th Commissioners Meeting

The Fremont County Commissioners arranged the county's 2008 lease-purchase financing package and extended one more time the deadline for a hunting camp operator to comply with permit requirements.

With a March 25th deadline for Ron Walker of Top Rail Ranch to respond to county requests or face termination of his Special Review Use permit, staff members reported to the board that Walker had been in the Building Department working to get building permits for the hunting cabins on the property and is dealing with verifying the engineering on the septic system for the cabins. On site inspections of the buildings and septic will have to take place this summer as part of the verification. Because heavy snow on Waugh Mountain will prevent an early inspection, the board voted to reinstate the SRU permit and grant Walker until the August 26th board meeting to complete the necessary paperwork for building and septic permits and the associated inspections.

The only action item was approval of a resolution arranging the county's annual financing for various capitol purchases in 2008. The lease financing arrangement this year is through Wells Fargo. The agreement allows for up to $700,000 in lease-purchase financing. Included in that is the expected lease-purchase of 13 new patrol vehicles for the Sheriff's Department. Actually there will be ten new patrol cars plus the acquisition of three used vehicles; a 2006 F150 four-wheel drive truck, a 2004 GMC Yukon, and a 2005 Ford F150 truck. These purchases are being arranged by the Sheriff through a bid process that has Faricy Ford of Canon City being the low bidder. Total price of the Sheriff's package is $361,560. Commander John Dickens says the new fleet will replace vehicles that have been driven to 200,000 miles and beyond.

Jane Mannon of the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold (CC & V) Mine was present to detail their annual 2007 report. Mannon said there was $48,822,000 worth of direct earnings and 364 direct mining jobs in the region. The mine has 86 hourly employees who live in Fremont County and the average hourly wage of for all employees is $22.28. Mannon said direct hourly wages at CC & V totaled $4,761,000 and the gold mine paid $1,000,344 in mineral severance taxes. CC & V produced 281,820 ounces of gold and 89,020 ounces of silver with budgeted production of 301,000 ounces of gold in 2008.

Fremont Planning Commission to Review Permit Applications

The Fremont County Planning Commission will review applications for an events center with a veterinary practice at Penrose and for resumption of uranium exploration on the Taylor Ranch in the Tallahassee area northwest of Canon City.

The April 1st Planning Commission agenda includes a request for a Conditional Use Permit for Black Range Minerals to resume exploration for uranium on Taylor Ranch properties in the Tallahassee area off of County Road 2 northwest of Canon City. Black Range previously initiated uranium exploration on the ranch but halted those activities several weeks ago when it was learned the company needed a county permit for exploration. Black Range's plan over a ten year period calls for drilling an estimated 800 holes across 8,169 acres. While the Planning Commission will review the technical aspects of Black Range's exploration plan the Commission will not conduct a formal public hearing. The public hearing is expected to be scheduled for the Board of County Commissioners' first regular meeting in May. The Planning Commission may elect to take limited public comment but citizens are encouraged instead to submit their concerns in writing to the Planning Commission. Letters should be mailed or delivered to the Planning Department, Room 210, 615 Macon Ave., Canon City, CO 81212.

The Planning Commission will also consider an application for a Special Review Use Permit for Crossroads Land and Cattle L.L.C. at the former Broken Spoke Events Center on the southeast corner of Highways 50 and 115 at Penrose. Crossroads has the property under contract to purchase from Pueblo Bank and Trust with a proposal to primarily operate the property as a veterinary clinic. The veterinary premises would be permitted in the existing zone district but a Special Review Use Permit would preserve the previous uses for a restaurant and rodeo grounds on the site. Partners in the Crossroads venture are James Pickart, Michael Hoge, and Danny Schicke.

The Planning Commission's monthly meeting starts at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 1st, in the Commissioners board room (LL-3) of the County Administration Building in Canon City.

Commissioner Lasha Named to State Ethics Commission

(The following article was published March 19th in the Rocky Mountain News):

District 2 Fremont County Commissioner Larry Lasha was named Tuesday to the remaining seat on a commission that will carry out a statewide ethics amendment approved by voters in 2006.

Lasha, 63, a political independent, was named by the other four members of the panel, who are evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.

The panel, established under Amendment 41, is charged with hearing complaints about alleged ethical violations by public employees, including elected officials. The panel must first adopt rules to implement the amendment. Lasha says his first meeting with the group will taken place April 4th in Denver.

Amendment 41 has been under continuous fire since it was passed. Opponents charge the measure goes too far. For example, charitable groups worry that a ban on free meals prevents them from inviting lawmakers to events where dinner is served. Others say a ban on gifts to the relatives of public employees prevents their children from accepting some scholarships.

The Colorado Supreme Court in February declined to decide a lawsuit against the amendment, saying the full commission had not yet met or adopted rules. The suit remains on hold.

Former state senator Sally Hopper of Golden, a Republican member of the commission, said, "Everybody is after us because we didn't get going immediately."

Lasha said he understands he's walking into a controversial role. But the retired Colorado Springs firefighter said he's used to being in hot places. "Being a firefighter, I never questioned where I was going when the alarm went off," he said. Lasha said he will bring the perspective of a public employee to the commission. He said the first step will be to catch up on work the four panel members have already done in drafting rules.

Lasha served with the Colorado Springs fire department for 27 years. After retiring, he organized a rural fire department that serves parts of Fremont and El Paso counties. He was city manager of Florence before seeking the Fremont County commissioner seat as an unaffiliated candidate in 2002.

Bureau of Reclamation sets Southern Delivery System Meetings

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Southern Delivery System (SDS). Go to www.sdseis.com to view or comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

Public Meetings are set on the Draft EIS: The public will have 60 days to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The Bureau of Reclamation is hosting a series of open houses to explain the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, present the main findings of the DEIS, and solicit comments on the DEIS. Each meeting will take place from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.:

Buena Vista Community Center, 715 E. Main Street, Buena Vista, CO 81211 on Tuesday, April 1

Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Avenue, Pueblo, CO 81003 on Wednesday, April 2

Koshare Indian Museum, 115 W. 18th Street, La Junta, CO 81050 on Thursday, April 3

Fountain Fort Carson High School, 900 Jimmy Camp Road, Fountain, CO 80817 on Tuesday, April 8

Leon Young Service Center, 1521 Hancock Expressway, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 on Wednesday, April 9

Quality Inn, 3075 E. US 50, Canon City, CO 81212 on Thursday, April 10

The open house style public meetings will consist of informational displays. Reclamation staff will be available at each meeting to answer questions, receive comments, and provide information. Public comments will be received throughout the evening, either verbally to a court reporter or in writing.

Go to www.sdseis.com/events.html for the most current schedule.

State Opens Comment Period for Proposed Northfield Coal Mine

The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety has released a proposed decision and findings of compliance on an application for the Northfield Coal Mine which would operate in the Chandler area near Williamsburg.

A copy of the division's proposed decision and findings is available for public review at the Fremont County Clerk's Office in the County Administration Building at 615 Macon Ave. in Canon City. A 30 day public comment period is now in effect.

Northfield Partners L.L.C. was granted a conditional use permit by the Fremont County Board of Commissioners one year ago and approval from the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety is the final hurdle before the mine can begin preparations to operate. If Northfield plans to ship coal by rail they would return to the Board of Commissioners with another conditional use permit application that would specifically address conditions necessary to ship coal by rail.

The Commissioners approved its permit to allow mining by Northfield 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But trucking from the coal mine would be limited to Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The proposed mine is located a half mile west of the intersection of County Roads 11A and 79.

If the 30 day public comment period passes without objection, the division's final decision would become effective and a mine permit would be issued. Comments can be submitted in writing to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety, 1313 Sherman Avenue, Denver, CO 80203.

March 11th Commissioners Meeting

A brief public hearing dealing with reclamation of a coal mine and routine business comprised a brief agenda for the Fremont County Commissioners Tuesday morning.

There was no public comment offered at a hearing on a request to extend the time of a conditional use permit for Energy Fuels Inc. The permit is for reclamation of Energy Fuels' South Field Coal Mine that operated about five miles south of Florence. The Commissioners approved an extension of the permit through May 14, 2017, for reclamation purposes only. No other mining is allowed at the site.

Cotopaxi resident Tom Young requested support from the Commissioners on a position taken by the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District against possible rules being promulgated by the State Engineer against irrigators. Young said the conservancy district is concerned that the rules could negatively impact the water rights of farm and ranch irrigators. Young urged the Board of Commissioners to take a stand in opposition to the rules. The Commissioners indicated they would consider such action through a letter or adoption of a resolution.

Fremont County Sheriff Jim Beicker extended an invitation to the Commissioners to visit the summer conference of the Colorado Sheriff's Association. Beicker said his department will host county Sheriffs and Undersheriffs from across the state June 9th through the 13th for their summer conference in Canon City.

In other business the Commissioners:

• Approved a Temporary Use Permit for the Penrose Chamber of Commerce to operate a flea market at the Gooseberry Restaurant parking lot in Penrose once a month from April through September;
• Approved a Temporary Use Permit for the Temple Canyon Auto Hill Climb south of Canon City on Saturday, May 11th;
• Approved a Special Events beer permit for the Canon City Rodeo Association's annual Royal Gorge Rodeo on May 2nd and 3rd;
• & Adopted the Fremont County Noxious Weed Management Plan which County Weed Control Officer J.R. Phillips said is basically unchanged from the document approved last year.